EDITORIALS

Proper uses of boilerplate

Correspondence

Proper uses of boilerplate Cover Image

One from column A and one from column B. Sure makes it easy, doesn’t it? Much as our electronic world makes life simple, it also makes it more complicated in certain ways due to the opportunity to be lazy or inattentive to details. Just as there are only a few themes for good writing (man ...


May 13, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

A short play

Interviewing

A short play Cover Image

I don’t know how many of you participated in school plays during your early years, but there is a lot to be said about thinking about the interviewing process as a series of scenes in a play. Of course, the only problem with this visualization is the degree to which the audience is i...


May 09, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Is anyone holding out?

Job Leads & Job Boards

Is anyone holding out? Cover Image

I hate to ask if anyone is holding out, but is anyone holding out? One of the core values of The FENG is that we try very hard to share our job leads. Trust me, individual job leads aren’t as valuable as you think they are. And, if you share them, not only will you be viewed as a Fanatic F...


May 07, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Being nice to everyone

Human Interactions

Being nice to everyone Cover Image

Whether you are active in your job search or just trying to get your job done for “the great corporation,” it pays to be nice to everyone. One of my best friends is a real charmer and I always enjoy going out to dinner with him because we always get great service. He just has a way of enga...


May 06, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Running around recruiters

Job Leads & Job Boards Recruiters

Running around recruiters Cover Image

Several years ago I received a phone call from a long standing Friend of The FENG. This particular search firm posted with us on a regular basis. In this case, the posting included the name of their client. You see, they felt that the relationship they had with The FENG was so strong and t...


Apr 30, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Your most recent 10 years

Resume Writing

Your most recent 10 years Cover Image

While from time to time I silently wish to myself that many of our members would take the time to read a good book about how to write a resume, I find that other members have read a book or an article, but they have either read the wrong book or have misunderstood what the author was tryin...


Apr 29, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Keeping hope alive

Networking

Keeping hope alive Cover Image

Whether you are currently working and hate your job or are currently in active search mode, the most important job you have every day is maintaining an optimistic view of the future. The stresses and strains of a job that is winding down may at times seem beyond bearable. Back in 1991 duri...


Apr 26, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Fixing a bad attitude

Human Interactions

Fixing a bad attitude Cover Image

How often have you heard it said “He has a bad attitude?” We spend a lot of time addressing the bad attitudes of others. For example, discussions about age discrimination fall into this category. The world has a “bad attitude” toward those of us who are well experienced. (Over qualified.) ...


Apr 25, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Bashfulness is not my strong suit

Networking

Bashfulness is not my strong suit Cover Image

Hard to believe, but bashfulness is apparently a quite prevalent condition among our membership. Yes, these same individuals who in prior lives as bankers were cutting off lines of credit or foreclosing on hapless widows have a near terminal fear of picking up the phone and calling other m...


Apr 24, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Everyone wants to help

Networking

Everyone wants to help Cover Image

I know that some of you who have been at job search for a period of time may find this hard to believe, but everyone wants to help, it is just that they don’t always know how. I see it all the time at chapter meetings. Each person does their 90-second elevator speech, but rarely do they ma...


Apr 22, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The problem with falling overboard

Evolving Job Market

The problem with falling overboard Cover Image

As the sailing season begins here in Connecticut my thoughts more and more turn to sailing stories and how they might apply to job search and the management of your career. (Of course, I think about and read sailing stories all the time, but I digress.) One of the great perils of sailing i...


Apr 12, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Chip firmly in place

Human Interactions

Chip firmly in place Cover Image

Over the years I have had more than a few “interesting” discussions with new member applicants. I guess I can talk about them with all of you because they weren’t sponsored or accepted. Although I am in a position where I have to say no now and then, I try to visualize my role as that of “...


Apr 11, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Are you ready to retire?

Evolving Job Market

Are you ready to retire? Cover Image

I don’t know about you, but at the age of 71, I still have more than a few miles left on my odometer. The thought of retirement is still something far off into the future. I imagine I will get to that point in my thinking someday, but it isn’t now. When members call me for advice, I always...


Apr 08, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

The original conversation killer

Networking

The original conversation killer Cover Image

My wife is a speech pathologist by education and early work experience. One of the things that drives her crazy is one word answers. Her approach in teaching speech has always been to ask questions that create a conversation. The only way to get the kids she was working with to improve the...


Apr 05, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Hi, it’s me the pest

Interviewing

Hi, it’s me the pest Cover Image

Probably one of the most difficult issues to resolve when competing for an appropriate job opportunity is how much follow up to do. It is a fine line indeed between ensuring that those making the decision know you have real interest and making a real pest of yourself and changing their dec...


Apr 03, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

First impressions Cover Image

We have all heard the old saw: “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” There is also this amendment: “Don’t make your first impression your last.” I only wish everyone would be so kind as to repeat these sayings to themselves in all the things they do with regard t...


Apr 02, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Explaining the magic

90-Second Announcements

Explaining the magic Cover Image

I am often asked by our members to give them a “formula” for constructing their very own 90-second announcement. If only that were practical. The problem with 90-second announcements is very much related to the very limited time you are allowed. Having been in the advertising business for ...


Apr 01, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Organizations have character

Human Interactions

Organizations have character Cover Image

One of the more amazing things I find myself discussing from time to time is that organizations seem to take on a life of their own. Even when I “drop in” many years later I find very little has changed. As I “drop in” to chapters of The FENG around the country, one of my goals is to find ...


Mar 29, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

A few left over parts

Resume Writing

A few left over parts Cover Image

When I was growing up, my father was a plumbing contractor and I had the great experience of working with him weekends and summers from my early teens until I graduated from college. The test we used to determine whether or not we had correctly completed a complicated installation was whet...


Mar 28, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Watching your back

Networking

Watching your back Cover Image

It would be great if we could all see behind us while at the same time looking forward, but it just isn’t possible. And, sometimes just looking forward is hard enough. We have all heard about the “buddy system” that swimmers use. And, of course, having someone “watch your back” is a concep...


Mar 27, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG

Two peas in a pod

Networking

Two peas in a pod Cover Image

One of the great mysteries in this world is why any two people would network. Yes, I know this sounds like heresy coming from someone who has built his entire life on networking, but it is actually a very good question, and one that members who have not been exposed to “the truth” often as...


Mar 25, 2018

By Matt Bud, The FENG